by Chris Chase, USA TODAY Sports

by Chris Chase, USA TODAY Sports

Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy had to deny engagement rumors after Serena Williams' hitting partner played a Twitter prank saying the golfer had popped the question to his tennis star girlfriend.

Sascha Bajin, the practice partner who's never far from Serena's side and has a higher profile than many touring pros, sent a tweet early Monday that congratulated Wozniacki on her new engagement. This sent journalists scrambling for confirmation and caused some happy fans to start thinking of china patterns for the happy couple.

Wozniacki quickly put an end to the rumors. Her back-and-forth with Bajin suggests it was all part of a prank: